Neighbor Exclusion Device (NED) Plans

I get to this time of year and I want to build things: structures, landscape forms, garden beds, walkways. It never fails. But so much of the work is seat-of-my-pants with materials I have on-hand. Which, usually, is fine by me. I like improvising and coming up with something innovative with what’s on hand.

But there is one project I just don’t think I’ll be able to be that… haphazard with: a chicken coop. I’m certain I will have to draw out some plans and be very intentional about materials and form.

To that end I actually sat down and sketched, to the best of my ability, a plan for a simple trellis structure to help give our yard some privacy on the south side. That side has our Miami Beach wannabe neighbor, and I just don’t want his pimp-daddy self to have visual access to our yard. Especially since he’s a little hostile and pretty much anathema to everything about organic, sustainable gardening.

So, the drawing is to scale, and does a pretty good job of letting me know what my bill of materials and costs would be. It would be rough-hewn cedar, hardware cloth, and coral honeysuckle. It would replace my ghetto bamboo trellis. And I drew all of it with a dull pencil, a ruler and scrap paper (‘cept the part I fixed in Photoshop after I scanned it).

I have rarely engaged my mechanical drawing skills since high school, but a lot of it came back naturally. Maybe I have a fighting chance with a chicken coop.

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3 Responses to "Neighbor Exclusion Device (NED) Plans"

It looks SO good. I, too, want to build stuff but have little construction appitude or the strength or tools.

Like you, I have a neighbor from whom I would like to screen my yard, but even though I erected a purchased trellis alongside our fence, she had a fit any time my vine would reach over to touch the fence even just a little. I finallly pulled the trellis down and dug the vine up. Phooey! No privacy allowed for me.